Here is the link to a preview article in current edition of Autocar:-

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/skoda/fabia/first-drives/skoda-fabia-prototype-first-drive-review

Also in the Fabia mk3 section.

 

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/327205-first-prototype-test-drive-autocar/

The 90 mm (1 3/4" each side) of extra lane filling width is quite funny,

 the Tornado Line and sticky out door handles give the extra width of the body.

Unless the Track is actually wider more than 30 mm with the Tyres coming out of the arches, (They will when someone fits Porsche Wheels and stretched tyres)

but the 3 1/2 Inches extra could only fill a very narrow lane.

 

A Citigo Width Excluding Mirrors is 1641 mm i believe and the New Fabia must be 1732 mm Excluding Mirrors.

Edited 4 September, 201411 yr by goneoffSKi

Looks good to me. Im sure itll get the 110hp 1.2tsi. It cant not, surely.

All car reviews do prefer to slag off the older version dont they. The mk2 did get 4 1/2 stars in preface lift form in 2007.

Looks good to me. Im sure itll get the 110hp 1.2tsi. It cant not, surely.

All car reviews do prefer to slag off the older version dont they. The mk2 did get 4 1/2 stars in preface lift form in 2007.

 

To be fair that was judged against other cars.  In 2007.

A lot has changed in the last 7 years and there is some far more talented competition out now.

As a car, the mk2 Fabia is fine.  But it is getting on a little.

I really don't like the rear end :-(. Interior wise it looks very, very nice IMO.

I quite like the looks. I do find it a little tricky too be too confident on that before iv seen it in the flesh though.

Needless to say, I'll be popping down to the dealers and having a proper look and booking a test drive when the time comes!

Doubt I'll be trading in my 13 plate mk2 just yet though!

Reading the article, it seems the writer is being torn between 2 camps. The putdown of the old model suspiciously reads as if its been written by Skoda Uk marketing dept. Sweeping statements that are just not true. Old fabia was so small inside that passenger/driver elbows constantly touching? In fact the old fabia has internal space that shames many full size cars.

 

Towards the end, its obvious the writer hates the car, dissing even the 1.2 tsi engine.

 

Modern automotive journalists are in the pocket of manufacturers and dont help customers decide, but try to brainwash them.

Thats what got me. The elbow space in the front.

I'm not that small, 5 foot 10, my dads pretty big at 6 foot odd n big shoulders too.

The only time our elbows touch in the car is sometimes if we're both tryna use the arm rest at the same time. Anything short of having an audi a8 wouldnt particularly sort that though.

They did mention the build quality is better on the new one. We'll have to see about that! I dont think the mk2 is bad.

Yep have to agree with that strange elbows comment. Im6ft2, my best mate is the same and the only time we have got in each others way is when like otaylor said, when trying to use the armrest. Suprisingly spacious in the back too even with a long legged driver

The Tester /Reviewer for Autocar would not have been going on a 'faint memory' of the Mk2 Fabia FL if they had just had a drive in one before setting off 

in the 'New Fabia'.

 

Surely the Skoda Media team had one sitting around nearby.

 

The New Fabia i see is actually still a few mm narrower than the Current A1's.

Edited 4 September, 201411 yr by goneoffSKi

interesting photos in this link, plenty of the inside

 

are they sport style seats?

 

http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.forum-auto.com%2Fmarques%2Fskoda%2Fsujet2202-910.htm&edit-text=

I would be interested in this if it came with a Vrs option with one of the other bigger powerplants that Skoda must have access to from across the VAG. In fact, it would be great if they chose to bring the Vrs Fabia 3 in as both petrol and diesel.

 

I'm thinking they could use the 184bhp engine from the Golf GTD as the diesel variant, with the 235bhp from the Edition 35 Golf Gti for the petrols. 

 

Have a real go at making a noise in the warm/ hot hatch market. And keep one back six months from original launch with the engine from the R and 4 wheel drive, a proper special edition.

I would be interested in this if it came with a Vrs option with one of the other bigger powerplants that Skoda must have access to from across the VAG. In fact, it would be great if they chose to bring the Vrs Fabia 3 in as both petrol and diesel.

 

I'm thinking they could use the 184bhp engine from the Golf GTD as the diesel variant, with the 235bhp from the Edition 35 Golf Gti for the petrols. 

 

Have a real go at making a noise in the warm/ hot hatch market. And keep one back six months from original launch with the engine from the R and 4 wheel drive, a proper special edition.

It's a lovely idea but I think you might have missed the official announcement from Skoda that there "will be no mk3 Fabia vRS".... :-(

There is a Hot 'RS' coming,  

but sadly its going to be from Dacia, (Renault) and not for the EU.

http://autocar.co.uk/car-news/moscow-motor-show/dacia-sandero-rs-performance-hatch-works

 

But what the Skoda CEO was reported to say was 'there will be no vRS with the new replacement.  (paraphrase)

& in another Interview, another Skoda Senior was quoted as having said, we like to build fast cars if people want to buy them, we will see. (paraphrase)

http://topgear.com/uk/car-news/skoda-fabia-vrs-is-no-more-skoda-suv-coming-2013-08-21

http://autocar.co.uk/car-news/frankfurt-motor-show/skoda-fabia-vrs-axed

 

So when they reveal the Monte Carlo version of the Sportier, Crispier, more youthful New Fabia,

 they can just do a warm version down the line, maybe with a 150 bhp 1.4 TSI ACT Manual & DSG version, & a 1.4 -1.6 TDI with 140 bhp,

maybe as a Combi or Spaceback.

 

??

Should all the experience of faster cars gathered from their Motorsport Heritage only be available in Rally Inspired small cars with a maximum 108 bhp,

or if you spend £24,000 plus and buy a real vRS, eg a Bloater Octavia vRS.?

Edited 6 September, 201411 yr by goneoffSKi

There is a Hot 'RS' coming,  

but sadly its going to be from Dacia, (Renault) and not for the EU.

http://autocar.co.uk/car-news/moscow-motor-show/dacia-sandero-rs-performance-hatch-works

 

 

I was actually thinking yesterday, seeing as im not in romania (dacia is literally the only car i see here) and will be looking for a new car in a few months, 

would i be able to fit a clio 182 engine into a sandero haha. this may be an option, if not, bmw 135/335 it is.